Beer: Reviews & Ratings

A: pours a very very dark brown with a finger and a half of tanned head, excellent retention, excellent lacing.... Nice looking beer.

S: some earthy oak, over a bit of sweet malt and darkfruit notes. Also a slightly vinegary vinous note, which comes out more and more as the brew warms.

T: much like the nose, xcept with a lot more vinegar/vinous quality, nice amount of oak, over the quad backbone which adds some sweet dark fruit notes of raisin, prune and brown sugar, very well rounded overall. Very complex.

M: full bodied with high crisp carbonation that stings the palate a touch and keeps this brew moving and drinkable....

O: this is a very nice brew, the oak aging really rounds out the sweetness of the base beer well, and the complex vinegary/vinous notes added a pleasant unexpected quality to the overall brew, nicley drinkable for 11 percent alcohol. (915 characters)

S - The oak is pretty forward and spicy here, imparting a hefty vinous character. Not sure what kinds of barrels these were, but they're evocative of port or red wine. There's your generally quad-like flavors in the background, with sharp candi sugar, dark fruits, a bit of caramel and honey, and a mild cola/Dr. Pepper flavor mixed in. Perhaps a touch of acetone that mars the experience a bit, but not overly boozy.

T - The taste is a bit more heavy on the malt sweetness, with mildly spicy oak and vinous notes adding depth to the flavor. Dark fruits, berries, vinous oak, and barrel tannins, and perhaps a developing Flanders-esque lactic flavor that makes this mildly savory. Not sure this was intended, but it's not offensive either.

M - Medium-bodied, super-dry and tannic. Lower carbonation for a Belgian beer, but still in the medium range of things. Mild warming, but nothing excessive for the listed 11%.

D - Not entirely what I was expecting, but enjoyable in small doses. It's super oaky and vinous, making this an unusually heavy-handed barrel-aging example from Belgium. I appreciated the lower sweetness in this quad; something American breweries can never get quite right. Still, it would have taken an effort to finish a 750ml bottle with only 3 people - best enjoyed in smaller servings. (1,575 characters)

A: Pours a very dark and murky brown. Very tall and effervescent light brown head. Head barely budges at all, once poured. Great head retention but just a little splotch of fluffy lacing here and there.

S: Brown sugar and candied fruits. Fruits really run the gamut here, I can't pick them out very well. Dates, prunes, raisins, plums, grapes and cherries maybe? That brown sugar is really especially nice with a hit of caramel.

T: Oaky initially. Lots of candied fruits again but not quite as sweet as the aroma. Lots of dark fruits as previous mentioned in the previous section. Almost a touch sour sometimes. Quite a bit of caramel, hints of brown sugar and some dark bread as well. There are some spicy cloves in the finish. Overall there is an overlaying oakiness everywhere from start to finish in this one, tastes like I've been nibbling on sawdust all day (or maybe I have?). Swear I get bourbon and oak in the aftertaste, even though I'm pretty sure this isn't even bourbon barreled (just oaked).

M: Heavy and smooth. A little dry from the oak in the aftertaste.

O: Nice quad. Very oaky. Extremely oaky. Perhaps a bit too much in fact. It's everywhere in the taste; stronger in some parts and weaker in others but it's always there. It's a nice oak aged quad but given the price I doubt I would get this one again. Similar to the La Trappe Oak Quad if I'm honest. (1,403 characters)

Beer is dark brown with reddish hints. Large-sized beige head. Great retention- seems to just sit there. Good lacing.

Oak is the dominant scent in the nose. Cherry, smells a bit tart. A bit of a red wine scent, quite vinous.

Lots of oak in the taste. Again, quite vinous. Has a real red wine flavour. Some cherry and other dark fruit, red grape and a bit of date. Nice flavour. The oak is pretty strong but quite pleasant.

Full bodied, moderate carbonation. Bready.

Overall, quite good. I don't find it to be the most complex quad in the world, but the oak makes this quite enjoyable. WIthout the oak, I think this would be a nice but unexciting quad. (657 characters)

Very intriguing beer. The first thing you notice is the big pop when you pull the cork. This beer sure doesn't lack in the carbonation department- it has a very ethereal feel for the gravity. Oak dominates the smell, lending a ton of vanilla, but following right behind it are dark fruits (dates, prunes), spices (peppercorns, anise) and cookies. The taste follows on the nose, but the big carbonation cleanses the palate and the progression of flavors starts anew with each sip. Very drinkable for 11%. (503 characters)

Nice cork pop...not a shooter, but a good "pop." Poured from a 750 into a long stem St Feuillien Grand Cru glass. Large amber head on a dark copper brown colored, clear brew. Beautiful color, clarity and head that lasts a long time with sturdy lace. The head remains through the end on a somewhat narrow glass...beautiful medium size bubbles hang on with resolve.Aroma of a dark, damp closet...humm...mango rind, other fruit, wet socks,borolo wine, gingerbread cookie, cinnamon oatmeal.Significant carbonation and first taste reveals immense complexity.Flavors are very rich...funky fruit, near mouth puckering bitter-sour-funky-barnyard weirdness, apples, black vanilla cherry soda, black licorice, raw wood, prunes, red wine...oh mommy! I just offered an aspiring beer advocate a pour...she said she could not finish it. This is not a beginners beer and many may say "not right," but in looking at the full history of beer, this reveals some historical notes. Additionally, visiting and touring the Halve Maan Brewery in Bruges is a wonderful event. The views from the upper towers are amazing. Not all their beers are like this...actually, few are, this is a special brew aged in oak and 11%. Anyway, with 15 minutes of being open, this beer is for me, rich, complex, challenging, but nevertheless very tasty for the wild beer hunter. A little time give sour grapes, plums, meaty tropical fruit, dark malts, some alcohol, some mouth puckering....light on sweet malts or hops. Gosh...jut the color, label and lace on glass is worth the visit, but ooooh, the price in Colorado is exhorbatant...above $20. Can I write this off on my taxes?!! Ayieee!!! (1,657 characters)

750 ml bottle, bottle #07843. Served in a DFH Signature glass, the beer pours a dark reddish/copper color with about an inch and a half frothy tan head. Head retention is excellent, and there's a good amount of lacing. The brew smells like sweet and tart dark fruit, oak, red wine, caramel and some sweet and peppery spice. I think the taste is similar to the aroma, but with the addition of some vanilla. The vinous and woody flavors seem the strongest to me. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit slick and is well carbonated. It's a good brew and definitely worth a try, but it's also pricey at $23.99 a bottle. (613 characters)

A: Pours a fairly clear dark brown, with lots of sticky porous head. The foam dissipates to a film over most of the surface and a ring around the edge of the glass, which is enough to leave good lacing.

S: Strong resiny sweetness, with a light touch of fruit. The touch of booze is slightly vinous.

T: Full and sweet but not overwhelmingly strong. There's a somewhat bitter balancing note through the middle. It's quite nice overall, and feels more complex rather than just strong.

Poured into an Ommegang flute glass. Pours a dark, hazy mahogany brown with a massive fine light brown head that continued building for several minutes after pouring and slowly dissipated to a think layer with massive lacing (in a complex, continuous pattern that makes the term "lace" very appropriate). Aroma of dark and light fruit, red wine, oak, leather and tannins. Flavor is complex dark fruit, dark berries, tannin, port wine, wood; earthy. Finishes with a hint of vanilla, oak, and residual dark fruit flavors, slightly vinous. Medium bodied, but very active carbonation gives this a nice mouth feel. A complex dark Belgian that has acquired quite a bit more character from the barrelling. I'm glad I chose this to ring in the new year. (745 characters)

Dark brown in color with amber tinting. Light does not manage to penetrate it. A quarter inch of beige head covers the top. Brussels lacing. Aroma of plum, dark candy sugar,and dates is present. The taste is more subtle than the aroma implies. There's fig and dates along with dark candy sugar. The mouth is smooth and creamy with a substantial thickness that is dimmed by the oak. (389 characters)

(bomber of the 2013 edition - referencing my last review - the beer was poured into my trusty Chouffe tulip)

L: pretty much identical to their standard version, aside from the fact that there's much less foam forming in the first couple pours, and it's all but done in a short time... the deep red is grand, but I've seen a more appealing head... less sediment in the final pour than I would've expected

S: right away, you can tell the smell is notably different... the toast and grain of the wood is up front most, mild note of vanilla gradually comes out... tiny whiff of coffee grounds on top, while a round, red-vinous sweetness makes the foundation

T: ohhh yeah! this is much better than the regular ol' Henry... smooth-boozy red wine in the center, malty layer of fat enveloping... almost like cola and coffee liqueur on the back end... black cherry mask... the coffee roast is sanded down to a fine film

F: I'm conflicted as to whether or not this needs more carbonation - because it's rich and smooth, but a bit flat, making the body a bit weightier, though it's hardly slick, syrupy or laborious to swill... feel it needs a little more zazz on the tongue...

O: taste-wise, this very much bowls over the other one... barrel-aging at it's finest!... this will be something I will stock (and not touch!) in the cellar (1,328 characters)

Moderately creamy, medium body with subtle carbonation. Finishes with lots of fruit, earthy oak and a distinct note of what I'm pretty sure is cognac.

I was unable to find anything that specifies the type of cask in which Straffe Hendrik Heritage was aged but there sure are alot of cognac traits. I remember liking the base quad but this is significantly better. The cost might prevent me returning to this as often as I'd like but I'm relatively sure I'll pick up at least one more bottle. (1,250 characters)

It's amazing what a barrel does to beer. The ever-classy Straffe Hendrik doesn't need a face lift or a makeover, yet a little extra age soaking an oak barrel from the inside out results in a 2.0 version that's even better than the original.

As the best brewed Belgian ales should, the beer billows to the top of the tulip immediately upon first pour. A head of rocky proportions eventually settles and leaves intricate lacing patters on the glass in its wake. Off white froth retains for every second of the session and keeps the savory aromas coming. Dark ruby-ish hues allows little light to show through. This is one sexy looking ale!

With dark fruit a pepper on the nose, the beer's bold and sharp aromas are mildly wine-like with toast, wood, grape and is nearly taffy-like. Vinous notes seem like dry sherry when coupled with scents of blackberry, black currant, and raisin. Sweetness and fruit balance against peppercorn and earthy chicory notes. It's a complex scent that nearly makes the mouth water with anticipation.

Flavors don't disappoint as the tangy sweetness of pulled candy and red wine seep onto the tongue. Its sultry taste invites complementing dry oak, tart berries, cherries, red grape, and raisin to waft over the palate, wave after wave. Surprisingly the impressions of sweetness present themselves, but do so with a dry cotton candy-like taste. Vanilla and black peppercorn battle it out on the light must of wood for a finish of powdered sugar, spicy alcohol, and seared fruit.

Its complicated mouthfeel starts as the carbonation erupts like "Pop Rocks" candies and completely engulfs the mouth with air, pepper, and malt. It causes a rush to finish far before the mouth has fully explored its taste. Its this quick finish that lumps slightly in the throat and leaves a memory of the beer's taste to be appreciated in aftertaste only. Later as the carbonation subsides, the thin sweetness coats the mouth lightly and relies on peppery bite, spicy heat, vinous tartness, and light powdery tannin to wipe clean the malt and start anew.

There are a lot of beers that meet the standard for taste, and some that exceed it. This beer achieves the latter with those intangible savory and succulent tastes and textures that deserve applause. It's a terrific beer that suits the holiday season very, very well. (2,333 characters)

750ml #8746 into a tulip. Opened with an explosive PoP, pours a deep copper mahogany, a dense towering mocha colored head continues to rise long after the pour stopped exceeding the rim like a muffin top. Recedes leaving clumpy froth hanging, excellent lacing.

Richly seasoned aroma, gingerbread with purple grapes, slightly bittersweet, almost as if a lightly spiced noël. Black cherries, tannins, vanilla and the wood.

The taste is classic quad with the added contribution of the barrel. Very pleasant vinous deep dry twang parts the initial lightly sweet dark fruity goodness and the long evolving grape and barrel mild bitter. A echo of the taste lingers near forever, never fully gone before the next sip. Medium bodied lively mouthfeel, coupled with the tannic nature - tangy.the world needs more barrel aged quads, deliciouscheers jd (849 characters)

Bottle 7056. A bit pricy but I'm glad I picked up the last bottle at Discount in Milwaukee. Visited the brewery in April 2011 and absolutely loved the tour.

A: deep copper rosy color, nice tan head that was amazing and kept it all the way to the bottom of the glassS: some sourness and malt, pleasant, deep, rich oud bruin, some brettT: incredibly rich and deep flavor, deep roasted malt, yeastiness, but well-balanced and sourness adds a touch of characterM: creamy, nice CO2 but not over the top, some yeastiness (518 characters)

A: Pours a very deep, dark reddish brown. When held up to the light, it can be seen that it is translucent, but only just. Towering khaki head has slowly reduced to a cap of foam on the liquid, and substantial lacing around the glass.

S: Plum, dates, and caramel are all there, but subdued slightly by the oak. There's alcohol in the nose as well.

T: Sweet. All the flavors hinted at by the aroma are present in abundance. Nothing is overpowering, leading to an easily drinkable, warming experience.

M: Surprisingly low carbonation, given it's showing during the pour. Semi-dry, moderately thin in the mouth. Very pleasant overall.

O: I would really like to find other reviews of this vintage to see how it has progressed over the years. An outstanding beer now, 4 years after bottling. I only wish I could have tried it in 2012 as well. The cost and rarity make it difficult to come back to, but it will certainly hold a special place in my heart. (1,000 characters)

Sweet and warming. Thick toffee and caramel, notes of rum and burnt sugar.

Slight acidity and tang in the finish.

Full bodied and creamy.

Wow, excellent beer! Like a great Belgian Quad with just a hint of barrel aging and sourness in the finish, what a great beer! So complex and full, every sip leaves you wanting another. (532 characters)